Chapter 45: A piece of truth and lie
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE;
A piece of truth and lie
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His stares were penetrating and were heated as the sun, as if they were trying to melt her along with
the floor. The usual cold and stoic he always wears was gone, it was broken with only two emotions;
shock and disbelief.
His green eyes were trying to focus on her and Kai but they kept on wandering whenever his mind
enters that scene again and again.
That was 7 years ago, he believed that he can vaguely remember the things that happened during
those times considering it was already too long- but by the mere mention of her pregnancy- his
memories that were locked and buried deep in his mind came rushing in like a like a broken dam.
Sheryl finally noticed his reaction and when she deciphered and understood them- she was instantly
engulfed with one strong emotion; regret. She bit her lips and cursed her loose mouth. If only she knew
how to read the atmosphere and how to hold back and use her brain amidst of anger and panic- she
should have not slipped like this.
‘It seems like he doesn’t really know about it.’
She wanted to stomp her feet in regret and anger again. ‘Stupid, stupid.’
“Tyler,” she called out for him, desperately trying to come up with an idea to make his mind astray from
the topic she said. “We should go now- the clients must be waiting- you said this project was important
right? You said it was important to the point that I had to beg so you will consider bringing me here with
you. Hey, Tyler!”
‘She’s desperate.’ Althea said in her mind. ‘She’s desperate to the point that she even said something
so embarrassing.’ Althea sighed for her.
“Althea,” Tyler said as if he didn’t hear Sheryl. He was originally standing with his back facing her but
after that, he turned his body to face her and took a step forward in attempt to come near her, but
Althea took a step back, implying him to not dare. He stopped his steps but his eyes didn’t leave her
figure. His stares were even more intense after she took her steps backwards. “Are you running away?”
His voice was threatening and low, he was warning her but she doesn’t care. She sighed before looking
down on Kai. He also looked up at her, staring at her with his blue eyes that he got from her. They were
calm, they are still and unruffled. Althea let out a small laugh before looking back at Tyler. She smiled.
“I’m not running away,” she said. “Why would I even run away?”
“Shut up!” Sheryl suddenly said. “Don’t say anything- no more nonsense!” She looked up at Tyler and
shook his arm. “Hon- let’s go!”
“Is what she said true?” He asked. “Is he,” his eyes wandered on Kai’s figure for a moment before
dragging them back to her. “Tell me Althea, I want the truth.”
“No Tyler-!” Sheryl tried pulling his arm to bring his attention towards her. “I was just kidding! It isn’t
true! Ah- right! He’s not your son, he isn’t. Maybe she got pregnant by a random man- so yes! He isn’t
necessarily yours!”
“Sheryl,” annoyed, Tyler shoved her away from him. His brows were furrowed and he was looking at
her threateningly. “Shut up. Don’t wait for the time that my patient runs out.”
“Tyler!” She refuses to back down. She shouted. “Have you forgotten that you called her desperate that
time?!”
Tyler flinched. Sheryl was satisfied, she continued, “See? You yourself know her! So maybe he isn’t
yours.”
Uncertainly and guilt crossed on his eyes , as if his own brain was mocking him, the scene keeps on
repeating in his head like a broken tape
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
It was Althea who shouted those words to him when he called her desperate.
"I never thought you can be this desperate," Tyler mocked. "I always thought that you were logical and
not hasty, but here you are; claiming that you're pregnant."
With that, he fall silent, it seems like his thoughts about being the father was gone, but deep down; he
actually ’hoped’ it was true. For why, he himself has no idea.
“You know what,” Althea, who was silent the whole time finally opened her mouth to speak for the silent
two. Tyler and Sheryl looked at her; the former’s face was solemn with a hint of hidden distress while
the latter looks like she was about to spat a venom but tries to hold back. Althea was looking as calm
as ever- it planted panic in Sheryl’s heart while it greatly disturbed Tyler’s.
Althea doesn’t care about the two’s feelings at all, she smiled and told them, “Sheryl’s right. Kai’s not
your son,” her face scrunched, “and even if he is, there’s no way I’ll admit.”
Sheryl’s face relaxed a little and she once again tugged Tyler’s arm, “See, see! I was right!”
The tug was forceful enough to shake his whole body but the man was not paying attention to her at all.
He has his brows furrowed as his solemn face turned fierce- as if he doesn’t accept the words that
came out from her mouth.
Althea laughed in her mind about the irony of the situation. Usually, if men know that they accidentally
impregnate someone, they will surely run and hide from the mother’s sight- especially those people at
the top like him, but look what’s happening; he doesn’t even believe that she was telling the truth.
Too bad, she really is telling the truth.
“Then tell me why did you said those words,” Tyler said, his voice and facial expression was back to
normal. “Tell me why you said that.”
Althea was just actually trying to be calm since she met the two. She tried her best to not sound rude
and unpleasant especially in front of the person she used to despise and loath. There was still anger-
but it was just a small fire- too small to even burn something. But- his question sparked something
inside her. The question made her mad and it gained her anger.
She squeezed her own son’s hand, trying to calm it down. Her breaths are getting ragged and short
and out of the three, only Kai noticed the change of her behavior. He looked up.
He was just silent the whole time of their exchange, he can understand their words but the meaning
behind them is something he find hard to keep in mind, hence, he kept silent and decided to drift in his
own little world, trying to escape and wait for his mother to call him back when everything’s okay.
Like how he would to her whenever she’s trapped in the nightmares she used to have.
He looked up at his mother, completely ignoring the numbing pain he feels with her grip. He didn’t call
out for her to stop it because it hurts, rather, he returned the intensity but the grip of his small hand was
not even half of her mother’s strength, but- it was enough.
He called out, “Mom.”
His call was like a soft guiding bell for Althea. She snapped out of it and her gripped loosen. Realizing
the thing that she did, she guiltily looked at the reddening hand of her son. She squatted down and held
him on his shoulders. She tried to smile, “I’m sorry Kai. Does it hurt?”
Kai shook his head- then stopped, and nodded his head. Althea bit her lips before standing up. Her
eyes caught the ice-cream cart. “Look, Kai, do you want to eat ice-cream?”
He looked at the cart before nodding. Althea smiled at him before nudging him to go, “Buy then. But
remember not to but too much, ‘kay? Your stomach will hurt.”
Obediently, he nodded and with the money she gave him, he run towards it like how the kids his age
would do.
When he was out of sight, Sheryl opened his mouth and mocked. “What was that Althea? Hurting your
own son? What kind of a parent are you-“
“Shut up.” Althea sharply said with a piercing glare. Sheryl shut her mouth. “You have no rights to tell
me about my parenting when you’re not a mother yourself.”Althea paused before looking at Sheryl up
and down. After that, she unknowingly let out a mocking laugh before sneering at her. “On the other
thought, please don’t try being a mother; I’m pretty sure you’ll be horrible.”
Sheryl gaped and was about to retort when her gaze shifted to the man besides her. She showed him a
smile- not a happy smile. Just a plain, emotionless one. “About your question, yes, you were right
about it that time.” Her smile disappeared; her eyes were as cold as ice. “I was desperate. I was merely
trying to catch your attention. And, you can rest assure, I wasn’t pregnant that time.”
A lie.
His call was like a soft guiding bell for Althea. She snapped out of it and her gripped loosen. Realizing
the thing that she did, she guiltily looked at the reddening hand of her son. She squatted down and held
him on his shoulders. She tried to smile, “I’m sorry Kai. Does it hurt?”
Kai shook his head- then stopped, and nodded his head. Althea bit her lips before standing up. Her
eyes caught the ice-cream cart. “Look, Kai, do you want to eat ice-cream?”
He looked at the cart before nodding. Althea smiled at him before nudging him to go, “Buy then. But
remember not to but too much, ‘kay? Your stomach will hurt.”
Obediently, he nodded and with the money she gave him, he run towards it like how the kids his age
would do.
When he was out of sight, Sheryl opened his mouth and mocked. “What was that Althea? Hurting your
own son? What kind of a parent are you-“
“Shut up.” Althea sharply said with a piercing glare. Sheryl shut her mouth. “You have no rights to tell
me about my parenting when you're not a mother yourself.”Althea paused before looking at Sheryl up
and down. After that, she unknowingly let out a mocking laugh before sneering at her. “On the other
thought, please don’t try being a mother; I’m pretty sure you'll be horrible.”
Sheryl gaped and was about to retort when her gaze shifted to the man besides her. She showed him a
smile- not a happy smile. Just a plain, emotionless one. “About your question, yes, you were right
about it that time.” Her smile disappeared; her eyes were as cold as ice. “| was desperate. | was merely
trying to catch your attention. And, you can rest assure, | wasn’t pregnant that time.”
A lie.
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